Fruit guard



Nov.'20, 1934. A. A. PARTNER FRUIT GUARD Filed Jan. 12, 1955 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE FRUIT GUARD. Albert A. Partner, Biglerville, Pa,assignor. to"

Rice,.Trew & Rice Co. Inc., Biglerville, corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication January 12, 1933, Serial No. 651,319

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a fruit guard and it is primarily animprovement on the guard as comprised in application October 11, 1932.

Serial No. 637,314 filed It is an object of the present invention toprovide a guard whichis intended to be disposed along a side edge of abox or kindred receptacle in'which citrous fruit and the like is to bepacked and wherein the guard is provided with means to prevent rockingm0v ement of the applied guard and ,l more particularly in the event ofseparation between a side wall and the central wall or partition of thefruit box or container.

The invention consists struction and in the combination and arrangeinthe vdetails of conment of the several parts of my improved fruit guardwhereby certain im attained andthe device expensive and otherwiseadvantageous for use, as fully set forth.

portant advantagesare rendered simpler, 'less more convenient and willbe hereinafter more The novel features of my invention .will hereinafter be definitely claime In order that my invention may be the betterunderstood, I will now. proceed to describe the same with reference tothe accompanying drawing; wherein:- Figure 1' isa view edge guardsconstructed in perspective illustrating in accordance with an embodimentofmy invention and in applied position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly inlongitudinal section through Figure 1; Figure 3 is a viewin plan of oneof, the guards ner is a lid L.

A guard G embodying my invention adapted to be disposed along each sideof the box or container B, said guard being of a length to extend fromone end wall-of the box to the other and to bridge the space between theapplied lid and the associated side wall tainer.

W of the boxor con- The .guard when so applied operates effectually tosubstantially eliminate liability of injury to lidL and also avoidingthe fruit upon the application of the the liability of some of the fruitfalling out between the applied lid L and the upper margin of theassociated side wall W.

My improvedguard as herein disclosed tomthe band or guard G beforeapplying such band prises a band of relatively heavy paper stock, suchas cardboard or other material capable of being used for the purposedesired. The band is preferably disposed on a-curvature from one end -tothe other with the upper edge on an outbow. The curvaturelof the outeredge is such as to approximately conform to the maxi mum bulge of thetop layer'of fruit packedwithin the box or container 13 thus assuring aneffective bridging of the space between the applied 11a L and a sidewall 4 The guard or band 'G is also quite broad so that when it is inapplied position it will extend a considerable distance within the upperportion of the box B so that the pressure from within of the box contentor particularly an upper layer of fruit will' coact with the lowermarginalportion of the applied guard or band Gto hold the same againstthe side wall W and thereby facilitate its maintenance in working p sion I The band or guard. G when in its initially flat. or blank form isprovided in its central part and at substantially its transverse centerwith a longitudinally disposed slit .1, the central portion ofwhichhaving'in communication therewith a transversely disposed slit 2)which-opens at the inner or inbow edge of the guardorband G. Betweenthis v inbow. or inner edge of the guard or band B andthe endsof theslit'aare arranged the scored or otherwise weakened lines 0 hereindisclosed as in parallelism with each other and with the slit 2).Theslits a. and b together with the weakened lines 0 provide flaps 2adapted to extend inwardly from the guard or band Gfor engagement withthe opposite faces of the central wall or partitionl when the guardor-band G is in applied or working position. These flaps? when'angularlydisposed result in the guard or bandG beingprovidedwith anotch 3 of awidth to readily receive "the upper marginal portion of the outerwall orpartition 1 of the box B.

whn the flaps 2 at beffolded inwardly of or guard to a box,.yet'theldesired angular arrangement of the flaps 2" may be eifected atthe-time, the guard or band G is being applied by bringing the portionof the guard or band between the weakened lines c into contact with theupper portion .of the central wall or. partition 1. While the notchitself provides means to prevent the appliedguard or band G from havingrocking movementwhen the partition or wall 1 is within the notch'yet itoften occurs that there is considerable separation between the sidewalls and central partition or wall of the box B due sometimes to theinward pressure of the box content, sometimes to the hasty and imperfectassembly of the box and for other reasons. Therefore, under suchconditions should the guard or band G be disposed above or within suchspacing the tendency of rocking movement of the guard 01' band G wouldbe materially increased. However, this is avoided by the contact of theflaps 2 with the side faces of the central wall or partition 1, saidflaps 2 being of a length sumcient to compensate for the g'eheralspacing just referred to between a side wall W and a partition orcentral wall 1' of the box-1 guard or band G, these flaps" 2' the eventof the spacing conditions just mentioned also serve to materiallyfacilitate the effective placement of the guard or band (3' in workingposition.

The extremities of the guard or band G are continued by end flaps 4 eachof which being separated from the band or guard proper by a scored orother weakened line 5. As particularly illustrated in Figure 3, each ofthese lines 5 is on such an angle or bias with respect to be obviousthat a fruit guard constructed in ac adapted for use by reason of theconvenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated,and it will also be obviousthat my invention is susceptible of somechange and modification without departing from the principles and spiritthereof andfor' this reason I do not wish to be understood as liin'itingmyself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several partsherein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except ashereinafter claimed.

I claim.-

1. An edge guard for a fruit container corn prising a band to bepositioned along an upper edge of the container and extending above suchedge, said band being of a length substantially equal to the distancebetween the ends of the container, said band intermediate its ends beingprovided with a longitudinally disposed slit and with a second slitsubstantially at right angles to the firstnamed slit, said slits beingini-' tially in communicationand opening at a margin of the band, saidslits providing flaps to move outwardly with respect to the band toprovide a notch to receive a wall of the container to hold the band inapplied position, the flaps being laterally disposed with respect to theband for engagement withthe opposed faces of said wall.

2. An edge guard for a fruit container comprising a band adapted tobepositioned along an upper edge of the container and extending abovesuchfl'edge; said band being of a length substantially equal to thedistance between the ends of the container, and the outer margin of saidband being curved on an outbow from substantially one end to the other,the central portion of the band having a notch intermediate the endsthereof to receive a part of the container to hold the band in appliedposition, and means on the band at opposite sides of the notch to engagesaid part of the container to hold the band against rocking movement.

3. An edge guard for a fruit container comprising a band adapted to bepositioned along an upper edge of the container and extending above suchedge, said band being of a length substantially equal to the distancebetween the ends of the container, and the outer margin of said bandbeing curved on an outbow from substantially one end to the other, thecentral portion of the band having a notch intermediate the ends theredfto receive a part of the container to hold the band in applied position,and means on the band at opposite sides of the notch to engage said partof the container to hold the band against rocking movement, said meansbeing disposed inwardly and laterally with respect to the band.

4. An edge guard for a fruit container comprising a band adapted to bepositioned along an upper edge of the container and extending above suchedge, said band being of a length substantially equal to the distancebetween the ends .of the container, and the outer margin ofsaid bandbeing curved on an outbow from substantially one end to the other, thecentral portion of the band having a notch intermediate the ends thereofto receive a part of the container to hold the band in applied position,and means on the band at opposite'sides of the notch to engage said partof the container to' hold the band against rocking movement,- said meansengaging opposite races of said part of the container.

5-. A fruit guard comprising a band of paper board having a side wallportion adapted to' engage a side wall of a fruit box the full lengththereof, and an end wall portion at each end of said side wall portionadapted to abut and engage the respective end walls, said sidewallportion having a notch in the" mid-section thereof which seats over thetransverse center wall of the box, said guard having means at each sideof the i is notch to engage the opposite faces of the center wall tohold the guard against rocking movement.

6. Afruit guard comprising a band of paperboard havinga side wallportion adapted to en= gage a side wall of a fruit box the full lengthizio 7.- An edge guard for a fruit container coin prising a band adaptedto be positioned along an upper edge of the container and extendingabove such edge, the central portion of the band having a notchintermediate the ends thereof to receive a part of the container to holdthe band in applied position, and means on the band atop posite sides ofthe notch to engage said part of the container to hold the bandagainstrocking movement.

8. An edge guard for a fruit container comprising abarid adapted to bepositionedalong an upper edge of the container and extending above suchedge, the central portion of the band having a notch intermediate theends thereof to receive a part of the container to hold the band inapplied position, and means on the band at opposite sides of the notchto engage said part of the container to hold the hand against rockingmovement, said means being disposed inwardly and laterally with respectto the band.

9. An edge guard for a fruit container comprising a band adapted to bepositioned along an upper edge of the container and extending above suchedge, the central portion of the band having a notch intermediate theends thereof to receive a part of the container to hold the band inapplied position, and means on the band at opposite sides of the notchto engage said part of the container to hold the band against edge, thecentral portion of the band having means extending inwardly andlaterally thereof and spaced apart a distance to frictionally engage theopposite faces of a wall of the container to hold the band in positionwhen initial- 1y applied.

ALBERT A. PARTNER.

